


Puppy Love

by fantasysorceress



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Literary References & Allusions, M/M, Pets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-03-04
Packaged: 2018-09-27 20:29:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10047515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fantasysorceress/pseuds/fantasysorceress
Summary: Ray persuades his boyfriend to help him take care of a rescued puppy he's sheltering aboard the Waverider, without the rest of the team's knowledge.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So I recently came up with a headcanon that Sara banned animals from boarding the Waverider because Ray kept trying to adopt stray animals. The idea amused me so much I wrote a fic to accompany it. A fic that was supposed to be about 2k, tops, and ended up being over 5k. Oops. Well, I hope you all enjoy it anyway :)

 

“What are you doing?”

Ray whirled around from where he was crouched beside his bed to find Nate leaning against the doorframe of his chamber. He immediately stood up to block Nate’s vision, desperately trying to cover his boyfriend’s view of the inside of his room, because as much as he loved Nate he’d made his stance on the issue at hand perfectly clear the week before and he wasn’t going to let anyone stop him from doing what he needed to do.

“Nothing. I’m alone in here, there’s nothing to see, I just needed to fix something,” he said quickly. “Really. I’ll be out in a minute if there’s something you want to talk to me about.”

Nate looked unconvinced. “Uh-huh. Then why did you rush in here as soon as we got back onto the ship, and what are you trying to stop me from seeing?”

Before Ray could come up with a plausible lie, a plaintive bark sounded from behind him. Nate’s eyes widened, and he levelled Ray with a reproachful frown.

“Another one?” Nate groaned. “Did you conveniently forget that you’re not allowed to bring anymore animals onboard after Sara threatened to throw the dog you picked up last week into the temporal zone?” 

“This one’s different!” said Ray defensively. 

To prove his point, he beckoned Nate into the room and finally stepped out of his way. Nate peered down at the floor just as a small bundle of black fur trotted out from under Ray’s bed and sniffed the air curiously.

He half expected Nate to coo over how adorable the puppy was, like he’d done, but the frown on his boyfriend’s face remained fixed.

“Buddy,” he sighed. “You _know_ Sara told you not to bring anymore stray animals on board. Remember what happened a month ago?”

Ray sheepishly held up a hand. “Okay, that was my fault. I forgot that stray cats aren’t used to litterboxes, and you and your socks have every right to be mad at me. But on the plus side, Orion took care of the ship’s rat problem!”

“Yeah, he did,” agreed Nate. “And then he tried to eat Mick’s pet rat and Mick nearly set your cat on fire.”

“I apologized to Mick on Orion’s behalf,” Ray protested. “And he didn’t kill me, so he must’ve accepted my apology.”

“Right,” Nate said skeptically. “Then last week, you brought that white sheepdog aboard –”

“Einstein. His name’s Einstein.”

“…You brought Einstein aboard and in the span of one day – _one day!_ – he’d chewed up Jax and Professor Stein’s shoes, knocked over half the stuff in Sara’s office, and tore apart the kitchen in search of food. There was dog slobber _everywhere._. That’s why Sara made you drop both of them off at an animal shelter in Central City, remember?”

“Yes I remember, but look at him!” cried Ray, gesturing at the puppy. He was wobbling on unsteady legs towards him, and Ray kneeled down and gently scratched behind one of his ears. “It was raining and someone had abandoned him on the street. I couldn’t just leave him there! He would have died in the cold, all alone, with no one to look after him.”

Nate raised an eyebrow. “It was the early twentieth century, Ray. I doubt he was the only abandoned puppy left out on the street.”

“But he’s so tiny,” Ray protested, letting the puppy crawl into his lap. “I think he was the runt of the litter. He’s not as strong as he should be, and I’m no veterinarian but I’m pretty sure he has a cold.”

As if on cue, the puppy sneezed.

“Look, if we’d found a person out there who was dying, none of the crew would’ve thought twice about bringing them aboard and letting Gideon fix them up,” continued Ray. “Why should it be any different with an animal?”

“Because you never ask to keep a person?”

“Then let me just take care of him until he’s fully recovered,” he pleaded. “As soon as he’s back to prime condition, I’ll drop him off at whatever time period we’re in next. No one else has to know.”

Nate eyed him dubiously. “You sure about that?”

“I promise,” Ray said solemnly, putting a hand over his heart. “Eagle Scout’s honour.”

Nate chewed on his lower lip, glancing down at the puppy in Ray’s lap. Sensing he was wavering, Ray picked up the puppy and deposited him in Nate’s arms. Nate blinked in surprise, but the puppy woofed softly and nosed at Nate’s fingers, and a small smile grew on his boyfriend’s face. Ray’s heart melted at the sight.

“Fine,” Nate relented. “But _only_ until you’ve nursed him back to health. Then you leave him at the next destination. And if anyone else catches him on the ship, especially if it’s Sara, this was all your idea and you’re not allowed to throw me under the bus with you.”

“Deal,” Ray said happily, leaning forward to peck at Nate’s lips. “Have I ever told you you’re the best boyfriend ever?”

“Yeah, but it’s always nice to be reminded,” Nate murmured, hooking an arm around Ray’s neck and dragging him into a longer kiss that was only broken when the puppy between them whined at the lack of attention.

Ray pulled away from Nate, reaching a hand down to pet the puppy’s furry black head. “So,” he said thoughtfully. “What should we name him? Padfoot? Shaggydog? K9?”

Nate's only response was an amused snort.

 

~*~

 

In hindsight, Nate should’ve expected Ray’s plan to go awry. Since when were _any_ of the Legends’ plans ever executed perfectly? Not to mention this plan was entirely concocted by Ray, and as brilliant as his boyfriend was, he could be a little too positive that things would always work themselves out and eventually be a success.

Nate was beginning to think letting Ray hide a puppy from the rest of the team on a contained time ship would not be a success.

“Buddy,” he said as calmly as he could manage, marching into the galley.

Ray looked up from where he was pouring his vintage cereal into a bowl and grinned. “Morning!” he said brightly, but his grin fell when he took in Nate’s stormy expression. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” Nate repeated incredulously. “What’s wrong is that when I woke up, there are black paw prints all across the hall floors!”

Ray’s mouth fell open. “Oh. Um, that’s not good. That is very not good. I don’t – Toto was still sleeping when I left my room.”

“Well, obviously you didn’t close your door, Toto woke up, somehow got his paws in something wet and black, and wandered around the ship,” Nate said exasperatedly. “Now we’ve got a missing puppy and a complete mess on our hands.”

“Okay, okay, let’s calm down,” Ray said quickly, placing his hands on Nate’s shoulders. “We’re not screwed.”

“Yet.”

“We’re not going to be screwed, either,” he said firmly. “I’ll follow the tracks and look for Toto, you get the mop and wipe away the prints before anyone else wakes up.”

Nate frowned. “Why am I cleaning up while you play hide-and-seek with a puppy?”

“Because Toto likes me better, and if he catches my scent he’s more likely to come to me,” Ray said in a serious voice, but Nate swore he could see a smirk playing at the edge of his mouth.

Rolling his eyes, he followed Ray out of the galley. As Ray hurried down the hall, stalking the paw prints like a hunting dog, Nate headed to the broom closet and removed the mop and bucket. Filling up the bucket with water from the sink, he hefted it back into the hall, quickly dunking the mop into the bucket and trailing it across the floor, swiping over every print.

He made sure to be extra quiet as he mopped up the floors in front of everyone’s quarters, listening carefully for any sound of movement inside their rooms. Fortunately, the rest of the team seemed to be asleep and Nate finished cleaning the ship’s floors in twenty minutes’ time.

By the time he reached the cargo bay at the end of the ship, Ray was sitting on one of the many boxes, Toto seated between his shoes and tugging at his laces with his teeth.

“You found him here?” asked Nate.

“Yeah,” said Ray. “He got into the engine room –”

“– spilled an oil container, and dipped his paws in it,” Nate finished. “I know. I cleaned that up, too.”

Ray winced. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine, just – how much longer does he need to stay on the ship? It’s already been three days.”

His boyfriend cocked his head, looking down at Toto. “Probably a couple more days,” he mused. “He still sneezes sometimes, and his breathing is still a little choppy.”

“All right,” sighed Nate. “We’re lucky that he doesn’t bark loudly or often, but that luck won’t matter if he escapes again.” He approached Ray and tapped a finger against his nose. “Clean his paws, bring Toto back to your room and _close the door behind you this time_.”

To his slight consternation, Ray merely grinned. “Yes, sir,” he said jokingly, brushing a soft kiss again Nate’s lips. He then scooped up Toto and submerged the puppy’s paws into the water-filled bucket, ignoring the puppy’s wriggles of discomfort, and washed off the oil before carrying him out of the cargo bay.

Nate watched him leave, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, before he shook himself and snatched the mop and bucket. Walking back down the hall, he turned the corner in the direction of the broom closet but froze when he saw Professor Stein strolling through the hall.

He frantically wondered whether he should turn back, but the professor had already spotted him. Nate swallowed hard.

“Hello, Nathaniel,” Stein called out, drifting closer. “You’re awake at an unusually early hour.”

“Ah, yeah, I just – thought I’d get up earlier today,” he said quickly. “To enjoy the, uh, morning air on the Waverider. See what it smells like. Apparently it smells like…air at any other time of the day?”

He watched, panicked, as Stein seemingly ignored his babbling and instead zeroed in on the mop and bucket in his hands. The professor’s brows drew together.

“May I ask why you are carrying cleaning supplies?”

“Uh…I am holding them because…” Nate racked his brain frantically for an excuse and blurted, “Ray and I needed the broom closet.”

Stein’s confusion was palpable. “I beg your pardon?”

“Ray and I needed to empty the broom closet,” Nate clarified. “There was some _urgent_ personal stuff we had to do in there. So he took these out. Now that we’re done, I’m putting them back.”

Understanding flashed in Stein’s eyes. “Ah. I see.” He shifted, clearing his throat. “Are either of your quarters not sufficient for your…activities?”

Nate shrugged, valiantly suppressing his laughter at the scandalized look on Stein’s face. “Well, everyone’s quarters are in the same hall,” he said, leaning against the wall as casually as he could whilst holding a mop and bucket. “We weren’t sure how well the walls are soundproofed, you see, and Ray can get pretty loud when I –”

“That’s all right, Nathaniel, I do not need nor want to know the details,” Stein interrupted, looking faintly ill. “You may carry on and return the supplies to the closet.”

Nate gave him his best winning smile. “Of course.”

As Stein swiftly walked away, Nate couldn't hold it in any longer and he laughed aloud.

 

~*~

 

Ray had heard the saying ‘third time’s the charm’ plenty of times before, and he was pretty sure it wasn’t supposed to imply that the fourth time was the downfall. The time where the charm faded away and the good fortune crumbled to dust. Yet somehow his current situation involving a black puppy that hated being cooped up in one place for too long had ended up fulfilling that exact scenario.

After the first incident, which he’d privately dubbed the Great Oil Escape, Toto had been content to explore Ray’s quarters for the next couple of days. Once he’d sniffed out every nook and cranny of his room, however, he’d grown restless and started barking every time someone passed by Ray’s quarters. Ray had told the other Legends that the sounds were coming from a tech project he was working on, but he knew that excuse wouldn’t work on them forever.

With Nate’s grudging approval, he’d set an alarm for two o’clock, a time everyone was long asleep, and walked Toto down the halls of the Waverider. The little black puppy had been ecstatic about his nighttime hike and emboldened by his success, Ray did the same the following night, and the night after that, and the night after that.

Which was how Toto managed to give him the slip one night and by the time Ray found him, he’d already lapped up a small puddle of beer left by an overturned bottle. Ray had rushed him to the medical bay and, with Gideon’s help, induced Toto to throw up the alcohol he’d ingested and fed the puppy some activated charcoal before bundling him back to his room to sleep it off.

Nate had been more than annoyed when he found out, though Ray knew it was because Toto had almost died rather than because they’d almost been caught, and had banned their nighttime strolls. The downside of this was that Toto had returned to whimpering at every passing person, and one day when Ray opened the door, Toto had slipped between his legs and scurried out of sight. Fortunately, the first person to encounter the runaway puppy was Nate, and he’d swiftly returned him to Ray before anyone could see him and reluctantly allowed him to walk Toto at night again – after extracting a promise to keep a better eye on the puppy.

Those three heart-stopping emergencies had been stressful enough that Ray thought he and Nate could handle anything else Toto and fate decided to throw at them. Nate had started throwing him odd, sideways looks whenever Ray mentioned that Toto’s health wasn’t _quite_ in perfect shape yet, but he’d stopped asking Ray when they were going to dump Toto in another time period despite the fact that the puppy was clearly healthy.

“Ray, are you listening?”

Ray blinked. Sara was scowling at him, her fingers tapping the paper map spread open on her desk. On either side of her, Mick and Amaya were quietly observing him.

“Sorry, I zoned out,” he apologized, scrambling to sit upright in his chair. He cleared his throat and met Sara’s unimpressed stare. “Can you repeat that?”

“I was asking if you were willing to check out the Whitechapel district with Mick and Amaya when we touch down in London,” said Sara, “but obviously your mind is on something else.”

Ray was about to reassure her that he was fine when Mick butted in. “You’re hiding something, Haircut,” he growled.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, before sputtering out, “What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been smiling even more than usual,” Mick said tersely. “It annoys me. And sometimes you stare at nothing with that stupid look on your face, like you know something the rest of us don’t, and it makes you happy.”

“Um, I – you’re mistaken, Mick, I’m not hiding anything – really, I don’t –”

Sara slammed her hands on her desk, making Ray flinch. “Spit it out, Ray,” she uttered. “We all know something’s up with you. Nicking supplies from the med bay, wandering around the ship at two o’clock in the morning – yes, I know about that – spending all your free time in your quarters. You’ve become distracted by something, and it’s taking up all your attention. So. What’s your big secret?”

“It’s – there’s not – I mean –”

Ray’s desperate stuttering was cut off by a scream echoing inside the ship.

All four Legends jerked at the sound. Sara shot up from her chair and sprinted out of the office, pausing only to grab her batons. Ray, Mick and Amaya raced after her, following her down the halls and into the fabrication room where the scream had come from.

Jax was standing there, one hand brace against the wall, yanking his shoes off his feet with his face screwed up in disgust. To Ray’s horror, Toto was in the room with them, innocently chasing his stumpy tail and yapping excitedly.

“That dog peed on the floor!” Jax complained, tossing his sodden shoes across the room. “I didn’t see the yellow puddle and I stepped right in it.”

Sara’s eyes moved from Toto to Ray, and he could see the instant she’d connected the dots.

“Ray?” she said, her voice dangerously calm. “Would you care to explain why I have a dog on my ship?”

“He’s a puppy,” he corrected half heartedly.

“Which is still an animal, and I distinctly remember telling you that all stray animals are forbidden from boarding the Waverider,” she pointed out.

“Yes, but Toto was sick when I found him,” he said. “If I hadn’t brought him onto the ship, he could’ve died.”

“We don’t have the resources to cure every dying animal in space and time! Does the Waverider look like it doubles as an animal shelter?”

Ray ran a hand through his hair, tamping down his frustration. “I’m not planning on keeping him forever. Once Toto’s healthy again, I’m going to drop him off at the next time period we land in.”

Sara arched an eyebrow. “Really.”

“Really!” Ray protested. “I made an Eagle Scout promise to Nate that I wouldn’t keep Toto. I would never break that.”

“Oh,” said Sara, her eyes glinting. “Nate knew about the puppy, too?”

Sighing, Ray resolved to keep his mouth shut.

 

~*~

 

“You know,” Nate muttered out of the corner of his mouth, “I’m pretty sure I said _not_ to throw me under the bus with you.”

“I’m sorry!” Ray whispered. “It just slipped out!”

The two were standing in the cargo bay, Ray with Toto clutched protectively in his arms. As the door hatch of the Waverider slowly lowered, Nate fidgeted with the high collar of the royal blue Victorian doublet the fabricator had made for him. After Jax had refused to re-enter the fabrication room while there was pee on the floor, Sara had forced Ray to clean up the puppy’s mess while Nate had everyone’s outfits produced. He didn’t think the fabricator was a sentient machine, but it seemed like his and Ray’s clothes were more uncomfortable than everyone else’s, almost as if it was getting revenge for them letting Toto urinate in its room.

They stepped out of the ship and onto a wide, grassy field. Nate raised a hand to shield his eyes from the harsh sunlight, squinting at the shining horizon. Just beyond the park they’d landed in was London during the Victorian era, with its squat buildings and cozy shops less than a mile away. Normally Nate would have excited as hell to visit such an important time in history, but the forced smile on Ray’s face was dampening his mood.

“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” said Ray.

Nate shot him a quizzical look. “We were never in Kansas to begin with, buddy. That doesn’t make any sense.”

“I just wanted to say the quote! Since I have a real live Toto with me.”

“For now,” Sara interjected, striding up behind them. Nate found it completely unfair that she was able to get away with wearing a simple hat and loose cotton dress while he and Ray were stuck in thick doublet jackets and ridiculously puffy breeches.

“You and Nate are leaving him here in 1888, Ray,” she reminded him. “He’s not coming back on the ship.”

“Yeah, I know,” sighed Ray. “It’s just…I tried not to get too attached this time. I knew I wasn’t keeping Toto.” He stroked Toto’s head, a fond smile crossing his face when the puppy made a humming noise and settled against his chest. “But it was impossible not to love him, as cheeky and cunning as he is.”

As if sensing they were talking about him, Toto lifted his head and barked happily. For a moment, Nate swore he saw something in Sara’s eyes soften, her perpetually alert posture relaxing almost imperceptibly. Then the light shifted and she was back to her usual strict captain mode.

“I’m taking Mick and Amaya with me to look around London, ask some questions,” she said briskly. “You two, drop the dog –”

“Toto,” said Ray. “His name’s Toto.”

“…Drop him off somewhere and meet us at Mitre Square in an hour. Jax and Stein are staying on the Waverider, and I ordered them not to let any animals on the ship. Injured or otherwise.”

“But –”

“If they’re hurt that badly, I’m sure there’s an animal hospital somewhere in London.”

With that, Sara stepped around them and headed towards the city. Mick and Amaya followed suit, though Nate saw Amaya throw Ray a sympathetic look before the three walked away.

Shifting uncomfortably, he glanced at Ray. “So, uh.” He waved vaguely in Toto’s direction. “Any idea what his new home’s gonna be?”

Ray returned his glance, uncertainty written in his features. “I’ve thought about it, but I can’t think of a place that would be a good fit for him. I found Toto on the streets so I know he can catch his own food, but I don’t know if he’ll be used to hunting in the streets Victorian London when he was used to New York City. I also considered going around the city and asking around to see if anyone would be interested in taking in a dog, but if anyone says yes I wouldn’t know if they’d end up mistreating Toto in any way. And if there are animal shelters around, which I’m not sure about, I don’t know how sanitary they are –”

“Buddy,” said Nate, firmly placing his hands on Ray’s shoulders and effectively shutting him up, “you’re overthinking this. There is no place anywhere, in space and time, that you will deem perfect for Toto. Just think of where he would be happiest.” When Ray opened his mouth, he hastily amended, “Outside of the Waverider.”

He waited patiently as Ray absorbed his words. His boyfriend’s mouth twisted in thought as he absentmindedly cuddled Toto closer to himself, like he was picturing all the things that could go wrong in a place where Toto would like to live.

“…The forest,” Ray said finally.

“What?”

“When I found Toto in New York, he was living in a park and sleeping under shrubbery,” Ray explained. “I think he likes trees. For now, he’d probably be happier living in a forest instead of the city. And I don’t think he should be left in the city right now anyway, what with the Legion of Doom and our serial killer loose in London.”

“Good point,” agreed Nate, flashing a smile at Ray, and relief swept through him when Ray grinned back. If Ray had started moping and paired it with irresistible puppy eyes or worse, continued wearing that forced smile that fooled nobody let alone Nate, there was no way he would have been able to coax Ray into leaving Toto behind.

Nate examined their surroundings again, his good humour falling away when he realized there was no forest in sight and likely none for miles. “Aw man, it’s going to take forever for us to find a forest.”

“Or not,” Ray said mischievously, digging a hand into his pocket and pulling out the familiar case containing his Atom suit. “It’ll be much faster if we fly, don’t you agree?”

Nate stared at the case, then at Ray, in disbelief, and his smile grew wider. “Have I ever told you you’re the best boyfriend ever?”

“Yeah, but it’s always nice to be reminded.”

After Ray handed Toto to Nate, stripped off his doublet and donned the Atom suit, he wrapped Nate in his arms – a feeling Nate could definitely get used to – and soared off. It took only twenty minutes of flying for them to spot a large patch of green northeast of London. Ray touched down, narrowly avoiding a collision with a large deciduous tree, and carefully released Nate and Toto from his grasp.

Nate exchanged a look with Ray, and when the latter nodded he crouched down and deposited Toto on the ground.

“Well,” he said. “This is it, Toto. You’re in perfect health and we’re officially discharging you from our care.”

The small black puppy looked up at him, his dark eyes wide and clueless.

“You’re free now,” said Ray, his voice suspiciously pitched higher than usual. “This is…a goodbye.”

“Our goodbye,” added Nate, petting Toto’s head one last time before standing up and tangling his fingers with Ray’s.

Ray squeezed his hand, shooting him a grateful look before they both returned their focus on Toto. The puppy tilted its head curiously, but when Nate and Ray started walking away he barked anxiously and darted after them, catching one of Ray’s stockings between his teeth.

“Toto…” Ray exhaled, looking down at the persistent puppy, who growled and tugged harder at Ray’s clothing. Bending down, he extricated the puppy from his stocking and lightly swatted Toto away when he tried to bite him again.

“I wish I could keep you,” Ray said softly. Nate wondered whether he was talking to Toto or himself. “If I was just a scientist in Star City and not a time traveller, I’d adopt you in a heartbeat. Then again, if I wasn’t a time traveller, I would never have met you, or Nate, or the rest of the Legends, and I wouldn’t give any of that up for anything. And after thinking about it, I realized Sara was right to stop me from bringing animals aboard, because the truth was, it didn’t really matter that you were sick when I found you. I’d have taken you with me even if you were fine, because everyone kept telling me I couldn’t save every animal in the world, and I wanted to prove that I didn’t need to save every animal. That just helping just one small puppy could make all the difference.” He glanced at Nate. “It must’ve worked, at least a little – I mean, you eventually warmed up to Toto.”

Nate snorted. “I don’t know how I did.” Somewhere along the way, despite all of the problems Toto had caused him, the little puppy had wormed his way into Nate’s heart. “All he did was cause trouble. It must be because of how cute he is.”

Ray pretended to look insulted. “You only like Toto for his looks?”

“Of course, just like how I only picked you for your looks,” Nate teased, bumping Ray’s shoulder.

Ray flushed and chuckled. When he stood up, Toto whined but didn’t try to bite him again.

“After our mission here is done and the Legion clear out, and when you’re tired of living alone and hunting squirrels, I hope you find a new home,” Ray told Toto. “Make sure they’re nice people and that they treat you well. If they’re not, bite them and run away. You deserve the best.”

Toto scrambled to his paws, still looking confused, like a kid on his first day at school who didn’t understand why his parents were dropping him off in a strange location with strange people. Nate fully expected him to rush back to Ray’s side.

Which was why he was bewildered when Toto barked once, then turned tail and vanished into the underbrush.

Nate’s mouth fell open, and he pointed a finger at where Toto was sitting a few seconds earlier. “Did he just…ditch us? While we were in the middle of ditching him?”

Ray burst out laughing at Nate’s indignant tone. “It’s fine,” he said. “Toto will be okay. I’ve got a hunch. Almost like he understood me, which sounds crazy, but it’s what I believe.”

“If you say so.”

“If you don’t believe me, check the records when we’re back on the Waverider,” Ray suggested. “Maybe they’ll be new mentions of a black dog saving people’s lives in Victorian London.”

“Seriously? Just because he lived with you for a week doesn’t mean Toto acquired your personality. He’s not going to turn into Superdog. If anything, the records will tell us of a black dog that emerged from the forest and became the terror of London after it stole all their food.”

Ray shrugged. “He’s a growing puppy, he needs a lot of food.” His eyes widened. “You don’t think Toto will actually become a supervillain, do you? Oh my god, that would screw up the timeline so badly and Sara would kill me. In a non-metaphorical way. I’d go down as the biggest failure of a dog owner in history.”

“Buddy,” said Nate. “He’ll be fine. You said it yourself, remember?”

His boyfriend nodded slowly. “I did.”

Nate smiled encouragingly, gripping Ray’s hand tightly. “Let’s head to London. They’ll be waiting for us.”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay, let me just – did you hear that?”

Frowning, Nate stilled. A second later, he caught the sound of rustling leaves, close enough that warning bells started ringing in Nate’s head.

“Could be Toto,” Ray said quietly.

“It could also be the Legion, or someone who happened to spot a man flying over the hills of London,” retorted Nate.

“Point,” Ray conceded. “Time to go.”

He turned and let out a startled cry.

Alarmed, Nate spun around, his skin automatically hardening to steel, until he noticed what had captured his boyfriend’s attention and groaned aloud.

“Huh,” said Ray. “I didn’t know there were parrots in the Victorian era.”

“Exotic animals were quite popular around this time,” said Nate, eyeing the brightly coloured parrot situated on a low tree branch. “A lot of creatures were imported from the far reaches of the British Empire to entertain the Victorians. The wilder and more dangerous the animals, the better.” He shrugged. “Parrots aren’t really _dangerous_ , per se, but I guess they look pretty.”

“They do!” Ray exclaimed in a delighted voice, holding out one hand. The bright blue parrot, which had been studying the two from its tree perch, cawed loudly and fluttered down to land on Ray’s hand. It pecked at Ray’s fingers, and his boyfriend said apologetically, “Sorry, I don’t have any bird food with me.”

Without even looking at him Nate could hear the wheels turning in Ray’s head, and he firmly said, “No.”

“I didn’t say anything!”

“You were going to ask if you could bring a hungry parrot back onto the Waverider just to feed it, and the answer is no.”

“But look at her! She likes me already.”

“Ray.”

“And I have the perfect name for her: Polynesia! If we can sneak her past Jax and Stein, then I can –”

_"No!"_

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos to anyone who caught all the pet name references ;) 
> 
> Come talk to me on [tumblr!](https://fantasysorceress.tumblr.com)


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